Soda straw package



May 1s,*-1943" G. O. FROSTAD.

SODA STRAW PACKAGE ori inal Filed July 11, 1940 INVENTOR.

' ATTOR NEY.

Patented May 18, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,319,448 soDA STRAW PACKAGE George 0. Frostad, Milwaukee, Wis. Original application July 11, 1940, Serial No.

344,874. Dividedand this application November 19, 1941, Serial No. 419,707

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to improvements in the art of wrapping relatively frail elongated articles in packages containing one or more of the individual objects, and relates more specifically to improvements in the construction of packages for soda straws or the like.

Generally defined, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved soda straw package, and this application is a division of my application Serial No. 344,874, filed July 11, 1940,

covering an improved method of packaging soda straws, which application has matured to Patent No. 2,280,405, granted April 21, 1942.

Some of the more specific objects of my present invention are as follows:

, To provide an improved wrapping for one or more elongated articles, such as soda straws, which is relatively inexpensive, durable in structure, effective as a concealing means, and which may be readily removed without damaging the articles.

To provide an improved soda straw package containing one or more straws, which is compact and well tailored in appearance, and wherein the straws are most effectively concealed and protected.

To provide a new and useful package assembly for independent batches each comprising either one or a pair of soda straws, wherein the straws are snugly confined so as to permit compact storage of the packages, while also permitting eflicient wrapping with minimum waste of wrapper stock.

To provide a package for relatively frail elongated articles such as soda straws, in which the ends are neatly and effectively sealed and are devoid of lateral projections which might interfere with insertion of a bundle of the packages downwardly into a dispensing receptacle.

To provide an extremely neat and highly attractive soda straw pack wherein the straws are tightly confined and sealed, and which can be rapidly produced at minimum cost.

To provide an improved soda straw package having tucked and tapered similar opposite ends, and wherein the wrapper may be quickly and conveniently stripped from the straws without marring the latter.

These and other specific objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description.

A clear conception of the features constituting this invention and of the construction of the improved soda straw package, may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and form- .ing a part of this specification, wherein like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the several views.

Fig. l is a greatly enlarged fragmentary plan view of one of the completed soda straw packages, portions thereof having been broken away to show internal structure; r

Fig. 2 is a side view of one of the end portions of the package shown in Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is an end view of the improved package of Figs. 1 and 2.

While the invention has been shown and described herein as having been embodied in a package comprising a pair of soda straws wrapped in tissue paper, it is not my intention to thereby unnecessarily restrict the scope or utility of the improvement. The term soda straw as used herein is intended to include any elongated object or article having similar shape, whether hollow or solid. The term tissue paper is intended to include any thin and higly flexible wrapping stock, and the term adhesive is intended to include glue or any other material capable of uniting the web edges.

The improved soda straw package specifically illustrated in the drawing, comprises in general, a pair of laterally adjoining relatively frail elongated articles such as paper soda straws 5, which are embraced by a thin and highly flexible tubular wrapper 6 of tissue paper or the like having a longitudinal adhesive seam I, the wrapper 6 also having opposite end portions 8 projecting beyond the adjacent ends of the confined straws and provided with opposite approximately triangular side tucks 9 and with extreme end seals Ill. The flexible wrapper 6 should not be wrapped so snugly about the straws 5 that it will preclude free stripping of the wrapper longitudinally from the straws, but should be sufiiciently tight to constantly maintain the two straws 5 in substantial contact with each other. The wrapper sheet may be provided with printed advertising or decorative matter, and the seam 1 is preferably located on one of the fiat sides of the package. The opposite end portions 8 of the package should be of sufficient length to preclude possible damaging of the straws 5 during formation of the seals II] by the application of the sealing pressure, and these end portions 8 by virtue of the triangular formation and magnitude of the tucks 9 are tapered away from the straw ends in both transverse directions and are therefore devoid of projections extending laterally beyond the major transverse cross-sectional area of the package. This tucked and tapered formation of the end portions 8 of the package is very desirable, since it produces a rather rigid tapered box section or portion 8 at each end of the straws capable of supporting the relatively light package in upright position and it also permits either one or a bundle of the improved packs to be readily inserted within or removed from the throat of a dispensing receptacle without interfering with other similarlpackages disposed within the receptacle. The present improved packages can be quickly and effectively produced from inexpensive wrapping stock with the aid of machinery and in accordance with the improved method forming the subject of my parent application hereinabove referred to, and while the longitudinal seam l' is preferably produced by gluing, the end seals I0 may be formed by Welding under extreme pressure. The seals Ii] when thus produced-are smooth, and free from serrations or corrugations such as result from ordinary crimping operations,"and these seals require no adhesive in addi- "tion to that which is-squeezed from the seam I during th welding'process. While such seals Hl'provide an effective enclosure and will not "separate or' open during normal handling of the "packagethey can be readily broken by forcing the enwrapped straws '5 longitudinally thereagainst when it becomes desirable to remove the straws. However, the ordinary mode of removing the confined straws 5, is to rip oil one of the end portions 8 and to thereafter strip the wrapper longitudinally from the embraced articles.

From the foregoing detailed description it will 'be apparent that my present invention provides an improved soda straw package which is com- "pact and-of neat appearance, and which can be "produced with minimum quantities of relatively 'frail'andinexpensive stock. The tapered opposite end portions 8 besides providing a finished and tailored appearance, permit ready handling and erect disposition of the finished packages and insertion thereof Within a dispensing receptacle without undesirable marring or deformation; and the tucks 9 and Welded smooth seals I9 associated with th portions 8 provide effective end closures which will not readily collect .dust. The successive packages may be rapidly various modifications within the scope of the appended claim may occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

A soda straw package, comprising, a pair of elongated adjoining straws embraced by a tube of thin wrapping stock projecting considerably beyond the opposite, ends of the straws, each projecting end portion of the tube being tucked inwardly in the common central plane of the two straws to a sufiicient extent and collapsed and sealed at its extreme free end so as to produce a gradually tapered box'section of diminishing 'width measured in said plane and receding from the adjacent straw ends.

GEORGE O. FROSTAD. 

